TUSKEGEE, Ala. – The Tuskegee Golden Tigers capped off their weekend rivalry series with a doubleheader split against conference opponent Miles College on Saturday at Washington Field.
Tuskegee dropped the opening game 9-3 before bouncing back in the series finale with an 11-4 victory.
With the 2-1 series win, the Golden Tigers improved to 11-17 overall and 8-10 in SIAC play, while the Golden Bears moved to 16-11-1 overall and 11-5 in the league.
Miles 9, Tuskegee 3
In game one, Tuskegee collected 10 hits but couldn't overcome a handful of timely scoring plays from Miles.
The visitors jumped on the board in the first inning with a Brandon Leroy RBI double and extended their lead to 2-0 in the third with another double from Leroy.
The Golden Tigers attempted to rally late, including a solo home run from Samarion Ward in the seventh inning, but the offense was unable to string together enough run support.
Scott Williams, Ryan Morrow, John Saffold, and Nicholas Pratt each tallied two hits for Tuskegee, while Ward finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a solo blast.
The Golden Tigers were active on the base paths with three stolen bases and also turned a double play on defense.
On the mound, Amare Morgan took the loss after going four innings and allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits with three strikeouts.
Rodney Mudd II tossed five innings in relief, giving up just two hits and three runs (two earned) with three strikeouts.
Miles took advantage of nine walks in the game and recorded eight hits, including three from Leroy, who also drove in two runs.
Michael Smith added a pair of RBIs, while the Golden Bears stole three bases and played error-free defense.
Tuskegee 11, Miles 4
In the second game, Tuskegee bounced back with an offensive explosion, led by Jacobi Brooks, who had a career day at the plate.
Brooks went 3-for-4 with five RBIs, including triples in the first and second innings that cleared the bases and helped the Golden Tigers take a commanding lead.
After falling behind 2-0 early, Tuskegee tied the game in the bottom of the first, then broke things open with a five-run second inning to take a 7-3 advantage.
Mikelle Mason earned the win for the Golden Tigers, tossing a complete game and allowing just four hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out eight over seven innings.
Despite issuing 11 walks, Mason kept Miles off balance with timely outs and key strikeouts to strand runners.
Tuskegee racked up 12 hits in the finale, with James Slaughter, Morrow, and Alex Glass each collecting multiple hits.
The Golden Tigers turned another double play and played sharp defensively down the stretch to maintain their lead.
Brooks' three-hit, five-RBI performance led the charge, with the offense consistently applying pressure through base hits and aggressive at-bats.
Miles managed just four hits in the game, with Nick Copen, Jordan Pearson, Gavin Millians, and Cam Warren each contributing one.
The Golden Bears walked 11 times but left several runners stranded, unable to generate the big inning needed to claw back.
Jaelyn Rhynes took the loss for Miles, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in just two innings of work.
With the series win, Tuskegee continues to build momentum in the heart of SIAC play and improves to 5-1 in their last six home games.
Up Next
Tuskegee will return to action next weekend with another home SIAC series against Edward Waters as they look to build on the momentum from the series win over their in-state rivals. The series is set to start on Friday, March 28, at 2 p.m., before a Saturday doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
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